Connect with us

Politics

Turkey ready to take over prisons holding IS members in Syria amid uncertainty over HTS plans

Turkey ready to take over prisons holding IS members in Syria amid uncertainty over HTS plans

 


Levent Kenez/Stockholm

Ankara continues to insist on reducing the influence of Kurdish groups it views as antagonistic by proposing a transfer of control over camps and prisons holding Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants or members of their families located in Kurdish-controlled areas in Syria. to the new administration led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which overthrew President Bashar al-Assad on December 8. If such a transfer does not materialize, Turkey signals that it is ready to intervene directly. The move is seen as part of a broader strategy to restrict Kurdish autonomy in the region and ensure greater Turkish influence over key security issues in northern Syria.

On January 3, following his meeting with Belgian Foreign Minister Bernard Quintin, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan declared: “The Syrian government must assume responsibility as quickly as possible for the security of the camps and prisons. If this does not happen, Turkey is ready to provide all necessary support.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during a press conference with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi on January 6 in Ankara.

Three days later, on January 6, after meeting with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Fidan reiterated Turkey's position, emphasizing that the issue in question concerns the management and monitoring of prisons and camps. He said detainees at Al-Hol camp as well as ISIS operatives held in other centers could be subject to stricter monitoring. Fidan stressed that appropriate conditions for camps and prisons holding ISIS militants and their families could be established by the new administration in Syria and reiterated that Turkey remains ready to offer assistance in this process if HTS can't do it. Fidan stressed that Turkey was closely monitoring the situation and was ready to take measures to counter any measures it opposed by the actors involved.

Since the change in governance in Syria, Turkey has consistently emphasized the need for Western countries to take responsibility for their ISIS-affiliated citizens, currently detained in camps and prisons across Syria. Ankara has insisted that these prisons and camps be transferred from the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), made up largely of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), a group that Turkey designates as a terrorist organization. According to Turkey, the YPG is the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a banned group that Turkey has been fighting for years.

Photo taken at the Kurdish-run Al-Hol camp, which houses relatives of suspected Islamic State fighters, in northeastern Hasakeh governorate, during a security operation by the groups Kurds and the Syrian Democratic Forces, August 26, 2022. (Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP)

In a live interview with NTV on December 13, Fidan repeatedly stressed that European countries must repatriate their nationals, including the thousands of men, women and children currently detained in camps controlled by the SDF in Syria.

According to Amnesty International, more than 11,500 men, 14,500 women and 30,000 children are detained in at least 27 detention centers and two large camps, Al-Hol and Roj, in northeast Syria. Fidan criticized European nations for their inaction, calling it “hypocrisy” and “opportunism” for allowing the PKK, through the SDF, to run the camps and act as jailers. He stressed that whether there are 10, 20 or 50 individuals affiliated with ISIS, European countries must repatriate them. He further argued that Iraq and Syria must also take responsibility for their nationals, while an international or regional mechanism could be developed for other detainees.

However, there are concerns about Turkey's record regarding ISIS members within its own borders. Although Turkish authorities, including the police and judiciary under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, have arrested and arrested many ISIS suspects, few of them have been convicted, resulting in the release of the majority of them over a long period. Recent reports in Turkish media suggest that the new releases in December may be linked to demands and negotiations with HTS, a group made up of former al-Qaeda and ISIS fighters that ousted Bashar al -Assad in Syria.

Map of some installations along the Turkish-Syrian border region. Source: CNN

Nordic Monitor reported on December 24, 2024 that in many cases ISIS suspects accused of serious terrorism-related crimes have been released due to an alleged lack of evidence or delays in legal proceedings. In addition, some convicted people have had their sentences overturned on appeal.

Turkey's record in its dealings with foreign fighters is also far from exemplary. During the rapid expansion of ISIS in Iraq and Syria after 2014, many foreign fighters entered Syria via Turkey. At the time, Turkey directly supported the overthrow of the Assad regime and sought to suppress Kurdish forces, thereby aligning with some of ISIS's broader goals. However, as ISIS was defeated by SDF forces and international pressure intensified, Turkey was forced to adjust its policies.

Turkey's treatment of foreign jihadists in its country has also raised international concerns. In 2022, Turkey's Directorate General of Migration Management released a rare statement providing statistics on the expulsion of “foreign terrorist fighters” from the country. Although the leadership did not specify any organizational affiliation, it is widely believed that most of them were jihadist militants. who had gone to Syria to fight.

The statement issued by the General Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior contains language that appears to target the US and the EU. According to their figures, a total of 9,000 foreign terrorist fighters from 102 countries have been expelled since 2011. Among them, 1,168 were from the United States and EU countries, as part of Turkey's security efforts. inside and outside its borders. However, the exact number of 9,000 deportees raises some questions about the accuracy of the statistics.

Sources

1/ https://Google.com/

2/ https://nordicmonitor.com/2025/01/turkey-willing-to-take-control-of-isis-prisons-in-syria-if-hts-fails-to-manage-them/

The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos

ExBUlletin

to request, modification Contact us at Here or [email protected]